


Coffee for Two.

by caitlesshea



Category: Animal Kingdom (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bakery and Coffee Shop, Bookstores, Coffee Shops, Lawyers, Love, M/M, Surprises, latte art
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-04
Updated: 2019-01-04
Packaged: 2019-10-03 21:35:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17291876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caitlesshea/pseuds/caitlesshea
Summary: Adrian's a humble cafe owner & Deran's his new favorite customer. Could it be more?orThe Coffee Shop AU that no one asked for.





	Coffee for Two.

**Author's Note:**

> Went a little down the rabbit hole with this one. Completely took our boys out of the world of crime and dropped them into a downtown cafe and bookstore. They are still their sassy selves, though. Armed with some cinnamon rolls and coffee.
> 
> Thank you @allthehearteyes for all your encouragement and genuine love for this story. I could not have done this without you!

Adrian was tired. He didn’t know why, since business was slower than usual lately. Must be that damn Starbucks that opened up down the street.  _ At least I have the books, _ he thinks. He was living his dream, as owner of  _ A’s Books & Cakes _ , a nice play on the ABC’s if he does say so himself, but he knew that owning a small business, especially in the age of the internet was a hard task. He was here all the time, and he barely had time to go out and have fun, much to his sister’s annoyance. At least she helped out when she could. He was putting books back on the shelf when the bell above the front door rang, indicating a new customer.  _ Finally. _

 

He turns around to go behind the counter, wondering what the newcomer could want, when he nearly swallows his tongue. The man that walks through the front door is gorgeous. He’s got his dirty blonde hair pulled into a man bun, and the bluest eyes Adrian has ever seen. And he was wearing a fitted navy suit, minus the tie. 

 

“Hi!" Adrian nearly shouts when he gets to the register.  _ Jesus.  _

 

“Uh..hi," the stranger says as he pulls out his wallet. 

 

“What can I get you?” Adrian asks when he notices the customer staring at the pastries.

 

“A black coffee, please. And one of the blueberry scones," the customer says.

 

“Sure thing. Coming right up!” Adrian says and nearly smacks himself. He usually isn’t this cheerful. Or obnoxious. He gets the scone into a bag and pours the coffee into a to-go cup. 

 

“Thanks," the customer says.

 

Adrian puts the coffee and scone onto the counter, “That’ll be five dollars.”

 

The stranger looks up at him with a look of shock on his face. He schools it quickly and puts a $5 bill on the counter. He lifts the coffee in a cheers motion and turns to leave. Before he makes it to the door, Adrian notices him stop to look at the books. There aren’t too many of them. But Adrian likes to keep stock of his favorites, and order new ones when he can. He has a few tables for people to eat and read if they choose. The stranger ends up leaving after a couple of minutes, and is just walking out the door when his sister Jess walks in. He can hear her say to the stranger, “Thanks” for holding the door for her. She has his nephew with her as well. 

 

“Hey Jess," Adrian says as she puts his nephew in a high chair he keeps for him by the counter. 

 

“Hey bro. That guy was  _ hot _ ," Jess says as she grabs a water. Adrian laughs, “Yeah. I guess.”

 

“You guess?” Jess says outraged, “You should get back out there.”

 

Adrian shrugs and goes to wipe down the counters. He can hear Jess sigh. “Dave was a long time ago,” she says to him. 

 

Adrian pauses, “I know.”

 

“So. Why not ask him for his name the next time he comes in here,” she suggests.

 

“Because sis. He probably won’t be back. I told him his order was five dollars and he gave me a weird look,” Adrian says. 

 

“Weird look? What did he order?" Jess asks.

 

“A scone and a coffee,” Adrian answers.

 

“Oh bro. Probably cause your prices are so good. And trust me, once he has one of your scones, he’ll be back,” Jess says. 

 

Adrian doesn’t think so, but he appeases her anyways, “Okay sure.” She smiles at him. 

 

“What are you doing here anyways? It’s early,” Adrian asks.

 

“Wanted to stop in before work and dropping Spencer off at daycare,” Jess says. He doesn’t buy it. She is  _ not _ a morning person, and is usually scrambling to get everything situated in the morning. 

 

“Try again,” Adrian says. Jess gives him a  _ look. _

 

“Okay, I was hoping you could watch Spencer today. The daycare called and the teacher is out sick, but I can’t miss work,” Jess was giving him her sweetest puppy dog eyes. 

 

He thinks about it for all of a second before he says, “Yes.” He loves his nephew.

 

“Thank you!” she says as she grabs her own blueberry scone and grabs her things to run out the door. She kisses Spencer on the head and leaves. Adrian shakes his head, “What are we going to do with her, huh?” he says to Spencer, who just looks at him and giggles. It’s going to be a long day. 

 

~~~

 

He gets through the day relatively unscathed. Jess came to pick up Spencer around dinner time and Adrian is just about to close up shop when the bell rings on the front door. He silently groans. He just wants to close down and go home. The downside of owning a coffee shop being that he has to open early, so the commuters can come and get their morning fix. Maybe one day he’ll be able to hire employees. He looks up to see who is here, and pauses. It’s the handsome stranger from this morning. 

 

“Hey. Back again?” Adrian says and groans.  _ What is wrong with him?  _

 

“Uh yeah. Hoping you still had scones left. Long day and that scone was really good,” the stranger says.

 

“No more today I’m afraid. They usually go around noon. But I was about to put a fresh batch in the oven if you want to stick around. About thirty minutes,” Adrian says. He isn’t sure why he is saying this. He technically closed ten minutes ago and was about to finish his baking for tomorrow, but he can’t resist.

 

“You make them?” the stranger asks. 

 

“Yeah. I make all of them,” Adrian says as he gestures to the baked goods still on display. It’s not much, and he ends up giving more away than he sells, but he loves it. 

 

“Huh. Uh yeah sure, if you don’t mind," the stranger says.

 

“Not at all,” Adrian turns to put the tray of the freshly made scones in the oven, “Want a drink while you wait?”

 

“Another black coffee, if you have it?” the stranger asks.

 

“Of course," Adrian says and goes to pour a cup, “Always have coffee available,” he laughs. 

 

“Tell me about it,” the stranger says as he takes a sip of the coffee.

 

Adrian smiles and sets the timer for the scones. He’s feeling particularly brave, so he decides it can’t hurt to keep talking to the stranger, when he says, “I’m Adrian.”

 

The stranger looks up from his phone, momentarily surprised. Adrian wonders if he forgot he wasn’t alone. “Deran,” the stranger,  _ Deran _ , says. 

 

“You mind if I?” Deran says as he points to a table. 

 

“No, go ahead,” Adrian says, “I’m just going to finish up a few things.” He sees the stranger,  _ Deran he reminds himself,  _ nod and go back to looking at his phone. Adrian takes that as an okay, and finishes cleaning up. He gets the rest of the baked goods put away, either in their containers or the fridge, and goes to restock the cups and plates when Deran walks up to the counter. 

 

“Hey man. Sorry. Forgot to pay for this," Deran says and Adrian sees a $5 bill in his hand. 

 

“No, don’t worry about it,” Adrian says. 

 

“No way, man. You’re clearly closed,” Deran says and points to the sign on the front door with the hours, “And you’re letting me have a fresh baked scone.” Adrian goes to shake his head again, but Deran just puts the money in the tip jar with a smirk. Adrian rolls his eyes. 

 

“Thanks," Adrian says as Deran sits down again. Adrian becomes lost in his motions, and he can vaguely hear Deran typing away on his phone, when the timer for the oven goes off and he jumps. He drops the plates that he’s holding, and cringes as one breaks as they clatter to the ground. “Shit,” Adrian says and moves carefully over the broken pieces to shut off the oven.

 

“Need some help?” Deran asks with a smile as he leans over the counter.

 

“No I’m good,” Adrian says as he puts on an oven mitt to take the scones out. He grabs them and puts them on the counter, “They have to cool first, then you can have one.”

 

“Sure. Thanks,” Deran says. Adrian goes to get a broom from the storage closet so he can clean up the broken plate. Just another thing, and now he’s going to have to order some more plates. He shakes his head. Once he’s done sweeping up the mess, he goes to grab a scone for Deran. He puts it in a bag and walks it over to him.

 

“Here you go,” Adrian says. 

 

“Thanks man. And thanks for letting me stay while you cleaned up and after you closed,” Deran says.

 

“No worries,” Adrian says. He figures it can’t hurt to get at least one new customer. And if said new customer is nice to look at, then so be it.

 

“Well thanks again. Gotta get going, but I’ll definitely be back,” Deran says.

 

“I’ll be here," Adrian says and groans again. Because of course he will be. Luckily his weirdness hasn’t scared away Deran yet. Deran laughs and raises his hand in a small wave before he’s gone. 

 

Adrian smiles to himself, and continues to clean up. It’s dark out by the time he climbs the stairs to his apartment. The one perk to living and working in the same building, he supposes. Although sometimes it feels like he can never escape. He sits down on the couch and is about to pick up a book, when his cat finally makes an appearance and jumps on his lap right on top of the book. “Mickey," he says and smiles. He begins to pet his cat as he maneuvers the book out from under him. He smiles and begins to read. He realizes that he didn’t eat dinner, when his stomach starts to rumble, but he’s too comfy, and too engrossed in his book to move. 

 

~~~

 

He doesn’t remember falling asleep, but when he jolts awake at the sound of his alarm, and groans at his sore back, he knows he must’ve passed out on the couch. He looks at his phone to check the news, before freaking out that he slept through the first three alarms. He barely has enough time to shower, before he’s running back downstairs to begin his morning preparations. 

 

He’s in between customers, and the morning rush seems to be over, when he realizes how hungry he is. He grabs one of his scones, and is just about to put butter on it, when the bell on the front door rings. This time he does groan and drops the scone back onto a plate. He looks up and sees that it’s Deran. 

 

“So I’m not the only one who likes your scones,” Deran teases. 

 

Adrian smiles, “Huh. Yeah. Sorry. I normally don’t eat when there are customers.” 

 

“Why not?” Deran asks. 

 

“Well, it wouldn’t be professional. Plus, I make them for the customers. Not for me," Adrian shrugs. He tries all of his recipes before he decides to put them out for sale, anyways. And Jess is always down to taste test, so he knows they’re good, if he does say so himself. 

 

“You should eat them. They are delicious,” Deran says. 

 

Adrian smiles. “Thanks. I skipped dinner and breakfast so this was a snack until lunchtime,” Adrian says. He sees Deran frown, and wonders for a moment what that’s about, when the bell rings again, indicating more customers. Deran turns and sees the newcomers get in line behind him and decides to place his order.

 

“Sorry. Uh, one black coffee and one chocolate chip muffin,” Deran says. 

 

“Sure thing. Coming right up," Adrian says and starts to prepare his order. Deran hands him $5 and then goes to leave, “See ya,” Deran says.

 

“Have a good one,” Adrian says and then begins to help the next customer. 

 

The morning passes quickly enough, and Adrian’s so hungry he could eat just about anything. He flips the front door sign to  _ Closed for Lunch _ and begins making himself a sandwich.  He barely takes the first bite when there’s a knock on the door. He loudly groans this time, and goes to tell whoever is outside that the cafe is closed, when he sees that it’s Deran. He smiles.

 

He unlocks the door and opens it, “Hey man, back already?” Adrian asks.

 

“Yeah, was hoping for some coffee. I didn’t realize you closed at lunch, but I saw you there and figured I would say hi," Deran says. 

 

“Yeah, little unconventional lunchtime, but I usually don’t get many customers at this time, so I figured I would eat," Adrian says.

 

“Awe man, sorry. I can come back," Deran says.

 

“No don’t worry about it. What would you like?” Adrian asks as he moves behind the counter. 

 

“Another coffee if you don’t mind. It’s so good,” Deran says and chuckles. 

 

“I don’t," Adrian smiles and pours him a cup. He sees Deran eyeing his sandwich, so he asks him, “Do you want one?”

 

“Oh no, I couldn’t,” Deran says, “Plus I don’t see it on your menu," as he points to the menu board above the register.

 

“It’s not, but I have extra stuff. Pretty much my daily routine,” Adrian says and smiles. He doesn’t wait for an answer, figuring if Deran’s out in the middle of the day he probably didn’t have time for his own lunch. Or is, at the very least, still hungry. He pulls out the bread and grabs the mayo, and then he begins layering the turkey, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and pickles. He turns to give the sandwich to Deran, and realizes he didn’t ask if he liked any of the items he put on the sandwich.  _ Ugh. _

 

“Sorry,” Adrian says sheepishly, “I didn’t ask if you like any of this.”

 

Deran smiles, “All good. I do," as he takes the sandwich, “Wanna sit?”

 

“Sure,” Adrian says. It’s weird as he sits down, to be eating in his own cafe with a near stranger. But it’s nice. He grabs a water and joins Deran at one of the tables. 

 

Deran takes a bite and moans, “This is good.” Adrian smiles, “Thanks,” as he takes a bite of his own.

 

“So this is your place?” Deran asks around a mouthful of sandwich.

 

“Yeah. Had it a couple of years now,” Adrian answers. 

 

“Must be nice. Having your own business,” Deran says.

 

“Yeah, I guess. It’s just me though, so it’s a lot of work sometimes,” Adrian says. 

 

“I can imagine," Deran says, “You’re open everyday?" Deran asks.

 

“Monday through Friday 6am to 5pm, Saturday 8am to noon, and then closed Sunday," Adrian says. 

 

“Damn,” Deran whistles, “And it’s just you?”

 

“Yeah. Don’t really make enough for any employees,” Adrian says and pauses. He doesn’t know why he’s telling Deran all of this. They don’t even know each other. This is literally the second day of encountering each other. Although,  _ seeing  _ each other is probably more accurate.

 

“Mmm. Yeah. I get that,” Deran says.

 

“What about you?” Adrian asks.

 

“Me?” Deran asks back.

 

“Yeah. What do you do?” Adrian asks. He figures it has to be some type of office job, as he’s dressed in a suit again, this time with a tie. His hair is still pulled up in man bun though. And when did that become attractive to Adrian? 

 

“Oh. I’m a lawyer,” Deran says. 

 

“Damn. Really?” Adrian asks. He feels...inadequate. He knows that as a small business owner, he has a leg to stand on, but he doesn’t have nearly the education or status that a lawyer has. 

 

“Yeah,” Deran chuckles, although there’s no humor in it.

 

“You don’t like it?” Adrian asks. 

 

“It’s not that. It’s a family business. Didn’t really have a choice," Deran says and shrugs. Adrian can tell there’s more to that story, but that feels like a lot to unpack during their impromptu lunch date. Not that this is a date. Hell, he doesn’t even know if Deran’s single, or gay. And Adrian is not looking for a boyfriend. He’s not. Right? 

 

Adrian realizes he hasn’t said anything to Deran’s revelation, and he doesn’t want to be rude, “Oh yeah, families are tough sometimes.”

 

“You’re telling me," Deran laughs.

 

“You don’t like your family?” Adrian asks.

 

“Eh, it’s not that, they’re just a lot” Deran says and looks at his phone, “Well I hate to cut this short, but I have to get back,” Deran says and begins to stand. 

 

“No problem," Adrian says and takes their empty plates to the sink, “Want a coffee to go?”

 

“Yes. You’re a lifesaver,” Deran chuckles, “How much do I owe you?”

 

“Oh nothing man," Adrian says, “On the house.”

 

“You sure?” Deran says, “I did interrupt you, and you made me lunch.”

 

“Yeah, it’s all good,” Adrian says. 

 

“Alright thanks,” Deran says, “I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

 

“See you tomorrow,” Adrian says. He’s smiling as he starts cleaning the dishes. He swears he could see a sparkle in Deran’s eyes when he said he’d see him the next day. He wonders what that’s about? 

 

~~~

 

It continues like this for two weeks. Deran comes every morning and orders a new pastry and a black coffee. Then around 1pm he stops by for lunch. After the third day, Adrian starts leaving the front door unlocked, and making two meals. Adrian figures Deran’s office must be around here, since he’s here everyday like clockwork, but after that first day, they haven’t spoken about Deran’s job. Come to think of it, it’s usually Adrian doing all of the talking. Sometimes about his favorite books, or new recipes he’s thinking of trying out, with Deran nodding along like he’s listening. It’s nice. He likes these lunches, and knows that Deran likes them too, or at the very least, he likes the food. 

 

Adrian’s just finishing the second chicken panini, when he hears the bell ring from the front door. 

 

“Hey,” Deran says as he puts his suit jacket on a chair. He has the sleeves of his dress shirt rolled up to his elbows, and Adrian has to hold back the moan. Damn, Deran has nice arms, and tattoos. Yep, he’s screwed. 

 

“Hey," Adrian says, “I’m almost done.”

 

“Thanks," Deran says as he sits down at their usual table. And when did he start thinking about it as their usual table? Hell, they’ve been having regular lunches for weeks, but he doesn’t even know Deran’s last name, and they haven’t even exchanged phone numbers. He shakes off the weird thoughts and brings the panini’s to the table. He grabs himself a water and Deran a latte, with a twist, and joins him at the table.

 

“Panini’s?” Deran asks, but his eyes are sparkling. 

 

“Yeah. You did say you loved them,” Adrian asks. 

 

“I do! Didn’t know you had a grill here,” Deran says as he takes a bite and groans.

 

“I didn't. Brought it down this morning,” Adrian says around his own mouthful.

 

“Brought it down?” Deran asks.

 

“Oh. Uh, yeah. I live upstairs,” Adrian says. Another thing they haven’t discussed yet. Oh well, no time like the present.

 

“No shit?" Deran says, “That’s awesome. Easy commute,” Deran jokes. Adrian can’t help it, he laughs, too.

 

“Yeah. I guess so,” Adrian says and smiles. He loves the camaraderie between them. The conversations, however short, are always entertaining. He loves that Deran can make him laugh, seemingly effortlessly. He is reluctant to admit it, but he might have a bit of a crush. 

 

“And what is this?” Deran asks as he eyes the latte.

 

“A latte,” Adrian says.

 

“Yeah but what is the cool design?” Deran asks as he looks at the swirls on top of the mug. 

 

“It’s latte art. I’ve been working on new designs. Figured you could try some,” Adrian says. He’s hoping that Deran likes it. He usually drinks just a black coffee, but every once in a while he’ll order something else. 

 

“Latte art? Man, that is so cool!” Deran says, and Adrian’s pleased. 

 

“What else can you make?” Deran asks him.

 

“Hmm.. Well, I can do a heart, a flower, and I’m working on a cat now, and trying to add some colors to the cream, too,” Adrian says. 

 

“That’s awesome,” Deran says, “Bet your customer’s love them.”

 

“Yeah. I try. Gotta keep up somehow,” Adrian says. And he means it. Whether he’s competing with the Starbucks down the street, or the Barnes and Noble across town, he has to do something to stand apart from them.

 

“Man you should let me pay you for this. It’s so good," Deran says as he takes a sip of the latte.

 

“No man, told you it was okay," Adrian says.

 

“Well, you should at least start putting the panini’s on your menu so I can buy them. You’ve basically been feeding me free lunch for two straight weeks," Deran says.

 

Adrian’s thought about it, but right now he orders his ingredients in bulk and only buys the extra things for the different flavors, like chocolate chips or blueberries. 

 

“Hmm. Maybe,” Adrian says.

 

“What’s stopping you?” Deran asks, “Because honestly, you’d make a killing. If you were open for lunch, and people knew you had sandwiches and soups. They could come here on their lunch breaks.”

 

“Yeah, but then I’d never get a break,” Adrian says.

 

“Mm, well, how many customers do you really get after you open back up after lunch until you close?” Deran asks.

 

Adrian pauses and thinks about it. It’s not a lot. He has a few regulars, but they would probably shift their time to coming in earlier if he wasn’t open. “Not that many,” Adrian admits.

 

“See? If you were open say 6am to 2pm you could eat your own lunch after. Almost the same amount of time actually working, but only during hours that would make you money,” Deran says.

 

“Hmm. It’s something to think about,” Adrian says, “I’d have to readjust my ordering and run the numbers.”

 

“I could do that for you?” Deran says. Adrian’s shocked. This is the closest they’ve come to Deran discussing something about himself. 

 

“You’d do that?” Adrian asks.

 

“Yeah, it’s the least I could do. You’ve been feeding me for two weeks,” Deran laughs.

 

“Uh sure. Yeah, I can get you the information from where I do my ordering,” Adrian says, “I’d have to make a potential menu too. Let me get back to you.”

 

“No problem,” Deran says, “Think about it.”

 

“I will,” Adrian assures him. It would be nice to officially close at 2pm. He could do it now, but without anything to offset the money he does make towards the end of the day, it wouldn’t be the smartest move. 

 

“You’re thinking about it now,” Deran laughs. Adrian shrugs. It isn’t a bad idea. “Maybe,” Adrian says.

 

“Here, take my number. If you change your mind, just text me. I can look at it anytime,” Deran says. Adrian quickly puts the number in his phone, then sends a smiley emoji out of fun. He hears Deran’s phone ding and hears Deran laugh. 

 

“Had to make sure it wasn’t a fake number,” Adrian jokes. Deran smiles and looks at his phone again. Adrian notices Deran’s smile start to fade.

 

“Time to go?” Adrian asks. Deran’s schedule is like clockwork. 

 

“Yeah. She gets pissed if we aren’t back from lunch on time,” Deran says as he puts his plate in the sink.

 

“She?” Adrian asks. Deran looks up at him, “Hm. Oh yeah, Smurf,” Deran says. 

 

“Smurf?” Adrian asks, “Like the garden gnomes?” Deran laughs, loudly. 

 

“Oh man. Never let her hear you say that. No, she’s my mom. It’s a nickname,” Deran says. Adrian’s confused. He’s wondering why Deran calls his mom Smurf, and not “mom.”

 

“You call your mom, Smurf?” Adrian asks. Deran sobers and gets this closed off look on his face. Adrian’s never seen this look before from Deran but he can tell it isn’t good.  

 

“Uh. Yeah. I mean at work. It’s a habit now,” Deran says, but he seems unsure. Adrian decides not to push it. There’s obviously a story there, but he figures if Deran wanted him to know, he’d say something.

 

“Got it,” Adrian says as he begins getting stuff ready to open again.

 

“I’ll see you tomorrow. I’m serious about helping you with the lunch menu you know?” Deran says.

 

“Yeah man thanks. I’ll get the stuff together tonight,” Adrian says.

 

“Yeah?” Deran says with a smile. 

 

“Yeah. I think a change could be good. And there aren’t too many lunch places open around here,” Adrian says.

 

“Man, why do you think I come here every day?” Deran jokes. 

 

“Why I thought it was for the great company,” Adrian feigns innocence. 

 

Deran laughs, “Yeah man. Let’s go with that.” Adrian’s a bit taken aback. He knows he was only joking with Deran, but he did think they were at least becoming friendly. But, they really only spend an hour or so together each day. And they hadn’t even exchanged numbers until a couple minutes ago. Maybe he was misreading the situation. Which was typical of him. He must have a look on his face because Deran’s tone changes and Adrian feels a hand on his arm. 

 

“You do know I was joking right? I am an asshole, but not that much of an asshole. I do like coming here and talking to you,” Deran reassures Adrian. 

 

“Yeah man, I get it. Sorry,” Adrian shakes his head. He always does this. Gets attached when he shouldn’t. Hell, he still doesn’t even know if Deran is single or gay. 

 

“Alright. Tomorrow? Send me that info,” Deran says as he leaves.

 

“Will do,” Adrian says after him, but Deran’s already gone. Adrian spends the rest of the day and night going over his books and thinking of possible new menu items. He, of course, doesn’t know the logistics of turning his little cafe into a lunch destination, but he thinks it might work. Hopefully Deran will have some ideas. He’s about to go upstairs for the night when there’s a knock at the back door. He goes to open it, and sees his delivery of new books.  _ Finally. _

 

He finishes with the delivery guy and starts pricing, tagging, and organizing his new books on the few shelves he has. This newest shipment should last him a couple of months, with the rate of his book sales lately. He can’t help it though, he loves his books, and he loves that people can read while they enjoy one of his creations. More often than not, the people who just sit down to finish their drink or their pastry end up buying the book they were browsing in their spare time. There’s nothing better than loving a book so much that you just have to have it. That gives him another idea that he wants to run by Deran to see if he thinks it might work. He really wants to see if a book exchange with a coffee purchase could make him some more money. And who doesn’t love seeing book recommendations from other people?

 

~~~

 

The next day he has all his ideas written down for Deran, along with a potential rotating menu, with all the new ingredients he’d have to purchase. It seems like he’s going to be spending more money than he’s making right off the bat, but he’s hoping he can get enough people in for lunch right away to offset the costs he will be incurring. He’s so excited about his new ideas that he doesn’t even notice that Deran didn’t come by in the morning for his usual black coffee and pastry. Adrian has even begun trying some new recipes, much to Deran’s delight, in hopes of surprising Deran and making him happy. He’s about to start making the second salad, when his phone beeps with a new text.

 

_ “Hey so sorry I can’t make it today. Is it okay if I stop by after you’re closed?”  _ Deran texts him. Adrian’s disappointed. This will be the first day in weeks that they haven’t had lunch together. But, he knows Deran is a busy lawyer, and Adrian can’t get too upset about that, considering they have lunch everyday where Adrian works.

 

_ “Sure. I’ll be here.”  _ Adrian texts back and then rolls his eyes at himself. Of course he’ll be here. He lives and works here.

 

~~~

 

Adrian finishes closing down and is about to wait down in the cafe, when he realizes how hungry he is. He figures Deran can call him if he comes by and notices that the lights are off. He starts making chicken parmesan, his favorite, and decides to make a little extra. Plus, even if Deran doesn’t want dinner, he can have the leftovers tomorrow. He’s about to take them out of the oven when his phone goes off.

 

_ “Hey where are you?”  _ Deran texts him.

 

_ “Upstairs. Come around back and you’ll see the stairs.”  _ Adrian answers. He has a second to wonder if it’s the best idea to invite Deran into his home when they barely know each other, but then decides it’s okay, because Deran has known where he lives for a while. If something were to happen, it would’ve already happened, right? Right. He hears a knock at the door, and goes to let Deran in.

 

“Hey. Come in," Adrian says and steps aside, “I was just finishing dinner. Chicken parm. Do you want some?”

 

“Yeah. Thanks man. You didn’t have too,” Deran says.

 

“It’s no problem. I usually make extra for leftovers,” Adrian says. He begins plating the meal for both of them and goes to grab a beer for himself. He turns to show it to Deran, who is sitting at the kitchen table, when he sees Deran nod.

 

“Thank you,” Deran says as he takes his plate and the beer, “Needed this," as he sips his beer.

 

“Long day?” Adrian asks.

 

“Yeah. We own a property management company, and I’m the lawyer. My brothers manage the properties. My nephew helps Smurf with the books, and she’s in charge," Deran says. Adrian’s surprised. That is definitely the most Deran has ever said about his family or their business.

 

“You didn’t want to be a lawyer?” Adrian asks as he starts eating himself.

 

“No. It’s not that. I like being a lawyer, but I pretty much read and write contracts all day. I don’t feel like I’m doing anything important, you know?” Deran says.

 

“Mmm. Yeah I get that,” Adrian says, “What would you rather be doing?”

 

“Honestly?” Deran asks, “Helping the little guy. I like helping people with their startups, or how to keep their businesses going. It’s why I was so excited to help you. You know, with the lunch menu.”

 

“Huh. That makes sense,” Adrian says, “And you couldn’t do that now?” He wonders briefly if this is why Deran spends so much time over here. Escaping more than just his job, it seems. Although, he hopes Deran actually  _ likes _ spending time with him, and isn’t just looking at Adrian as a way to grow his portfolio. He shakes off the dark thought, almost as quickly as it appears. It just doesn’t seem like Deran. 

“No. I don’t think I can leave the family business,” Deran says with a pout, then changes the subject, “You own this building?”

 

“Yeah. I got lucky actually. The original owners left it to me in their wills. I used to come here all the time when I was in school, and they didn’t have any family. I was so sad when they passed, but then a lawyer called and well, I had a building with a cafe that I wasn’t sure what to do with. Took some time renovating and making it my own, but I love it. The apartment isn’t bad either,” Adrian says and looks around. 

 

“Wow. Man that’s awesome. I mean, not about your friends, but that you got this place. And yeah, this place isn’t bad either,” Deran says, as he, too, looks around.

 

“It’s small but it works,” Adrian says as he brings their empty dishes to the sink, “It’s one bedroom with a small den, an eat in kitchen, living room, and a bathroom with two sinks. Can’t really ask for much more.”

 

Adrian can see Deran looking around his living room, “Yeah. I have a one bedroom apartment, so I can understand the need for your own space. Finally had enough of living with my brothers.”

 

“This your son?” Deran asks when he looks at a picture of Adrian with his sister and nephew.

 

Adrian laughs, “No. My sister, Jess, and my nephew Spencer.”

 

Deran nods, “No kids for me either.” Adrian wonders if there’s a wife, or a girlfriend, since he doesn’t see a wedding ring. Or maybe a fiance. He figures Deran makes somebody very happy. Plus he’s easy on the eyes. Adrian shakes his head, he needs to get over this little crush. And quickly. 

 

“Girlfriend?” Deran asks him. Adrian’s taken aback for a minute, curious if Deran can read his mind. He figures the only way he’ll find out if Deran’s single is if he admits he’s single as well.

 

“Oh no," Adrian laughs. Deran’s giving him a funny look, but he continues, “Had a boyfriend, but he didn’t like that I was always busy with the cafe, so he left.”

 

Deran’s still quiet, so he shrugs, “So I got some of my stuff together. If you want to take a look?” Adrian says as he pulls out his laptop and puts it on the table. Adrian figures this is a good way to snap Deran out of whatever funk he’s in. He’s definitely not going to overthink Deran’s uncertainty. He’s  _ not.  _

 

“Yeah man, let's take a look,” Deran says as he sits down, the weirdness forgotten. Adrian grabs them both another beer. 

 

He doesn’t even realize how many hours have passed, by the time they have all the new details sorted out. But he’s happy. It looks like his initial investment into new ingredients and equipment for the kitchen can be paid back quickly. 

 

“Do you have social media?” Deran asks, “For the cafe?”

 

“No. Should I?” Adrian asks.

 

“Yeah. I can set it up if you want?” Deran asks.

 

“Sure. That’d be great. Thanks,” Adrian says.

 

“You know if this is successful, you should consider doing an open mic night once a month, or a book club or something," Deran says, “People would probably really like that.” 

 

“Oh, I have an idea. We can put up one of those polls on your Twitter, see what the people want!” Deran says. Adrian smiles, because he’s so enthusiastic. 

 

“Okay. If you think it’ll work,” Adrian says.

 

“I do!” Deran says.  Adrian chuckles.

 

“Thanks for helping me with all of this,” Adrian says. And he means it. He doesn’t get out much, and besides his sister, he knows he doesn’t have many friends. There was probably a reason the old couple gave him the cafe. Since he was here everyday with his books to talk to them. 

 

“Of course. You’ve been feeding me everyday for weeks,” Deran says, “Which is awesome, since I cannot cook.” 

 

“It’s not hard. I can show you sometime?” Adrian suggests. He doesn’t know what it is about Deran that makes him bold.

 

“Yes. That would be awesome,” Deran says, then yawns. 

 

“Tired?” Adrian asks. 

 

“Yeah. I should get going. My place isn’t far, but it’s late, and I have an early morning,” Deran says.

 

“Yeah. I know,” Adrian says and Deran gives him a weird look.

 

“You’re always one of my first customers and I open at six," Adrian says. He thinks Deran is blushing. Is Deran blushing? 

 

“Right,” Deran says as he rubs the back of his neck with his hand.

 

“Well I’ll work on the social media aspect if you start ordering, and we can get someone to make you a new front door sign with the new hours, too,” Deran says.

 

“Oh I can do that,” Adrian says shyly. 

 

“Really? You cook, you bake, and you can draw?” Deran says and shakes his head.

 

Adrian shrugs, a little embarrassed, “I like it.”

 

“No. It’s awesome dude. Yeah make some new ones. I take it you made the menu boards, too?” Deran asks.

 

Adrian nods.

 

“Perfect, you’ll have to make some new ones,” Deran says. 

 

“I will,” Adrian says, already thinking of ideas. He sees Deran smile at him, and he can’t help the flutter in his chest. He absolutely loves Deran’s smile. The way it lights up his whole face and makes his eyes sparkle. It makes Adrian smile in return. 

 

“Okay. I’m out. But I’ll see you tomorrow. Thanks again for dinner,” Deran says.

 

“Welcome. I’ll see you tomorrow,” Adrian says.

 

~~~

 

Six months go by, and Adrian has to admit, Deran’s idea worked. He has more customers than ever, and closing right after lunch gives him more time to set up for the next day. He even agreed to the once a month opening at night, and doing different events. He let Deran set up a Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for him, and he has a little mailing list that he sends emails to, with new books he gets in and new menu items. He sold so many books that he had to get more book shelves, which Deran reluctantly installed for him.  Adrian is  _ not _ handy. 

 

He sees Deran every day for breakfast and lunch, and Deran even has dinner over at his place once a week. He’s also come to every open mic night and book reading, so far. He’s even brought his brother, Craig, to a few. Adrian’s met the rest of the family, but he likes Craig the best. Well, second to Deran. He thought getting to know Deran better, and spending more time with him, might make his crush go away. He was wrong. So very wrong. If anything, it just made it all worse. Especially when he started seeing Deran in jeans, vans, and plaid. I mean, Adrian is  _ only _ human. 

 

Thinking back, Adrian can say these past six months have definitely been the best of his life. He loves spending time with Deran. And loves having Deran in his life. And really, who wouldn’t love seeing Deran trying to bake and covered in flour? They’ve gone out a few times, too. Deran breaking him out of his comfort zones, having him try sushi and rock climbing. Everytime they’re together, Adrian can swear that Deran feels the same way that he does. The little looks and barely there touches. But then something will happen, and Deran will back away, or become distant. Almost hesitant around Adrian. He isn’t sure if it’s something he’s doing or if that’s just the way Deran is. 

 

It’s Sunday, and the cafe is closed. Adrian’s glad he put his foot down with that. He isn’t religious, but he figures it’s the best day to be closed. He can run errands, clean, or maybe see if he can get a date from one of those apps his sister is always telling him about. But who is he kidding? Not likely.

 

This Sunday though, he’s trying out some new recipes. Deran  _ did  _ mention that he loved cinnamon rolls. He’s still trying to figure out how to keep them warm, when he hears the bell ring by the front door. It’s either Deran or Jess, since they are the only two with keys. Yes, Deran has a key. Sue him.

 

“In the back!” Adrian shouts and soon enough, he hears Deran come towards the kitchen.

 

“Hey man,” Deran says, “What are you making?”

 

“Hey. Cinnamon rolls,” Adrian says. 

 

“Awe, no way! I love cinnamon rolls,” Deran says as he swipes a finger through the frosting.

 

Adrian notices and swats at him with a towel, “Stop that," he laughs. 

 

Deran shrugs with a twinkle in his eyes, as he licks the frosting off his finger. Adrian nearly swallows his tongue. He takes in Deran’s appearance. He’s wearing tight black jeans, with a tank top and a plaid shirt open in the front and he notices for the first time that Deran’s hair is down. It’s wet, almost like he just got out of the shower. So sexy. 

 

Deran notices that Adrian is looking, so Adrian shouts the first thing that comes to mind, “Your hair is down.”  _ Jesus _ . 

 

Deran tugs on his hair a little bit, “Yeah, sometimes I like it down. It’s getting long though.”

 

“I like it,” Adrian says and then shuts his mouth. That’s about the closest he’s come to complimenting Deran. In all the months that they’ve known each other, they’ve both steered clear of discussing anything romantic. He assumes Deran is single, since he spends so much time with Adrian, but they’ve never talked about it. He can see Deran blush a little bit.

 

“Thanks,” Deran says and smiles.

 

“Not that I mind, but what are you doing here man?” Adrian asks.  

 

“Just figured I’d come by. See if you were free,” Deran shrugs. Adrian can tell Deran wants to say more, but isn’t sure if it’d be welcome. If there is one thing he’s learned about Deran, it’s that he doesn’t share his feelings very well, if at all. Adrian figures a  _ little _ pushing can’t hurt.

 

“Bullshit man. What’s up?” Adrian asks. Deran looks up for a moment, surprised that Adrian called him out. 

 

Deran sighs, “Nothing. Just my family. Smurf’s always pissed about something. Complaining I never come by anymore.”

 

“Doesn’t she see you at work? You have an office downtown, right?” Adrian asks.

 

“Yeah. But she doesn’t come in much anymore. And I haven’t really been by her place in a while. So she was pissed,” Deran says.

 

“Why not?” Adrian asks. They’re both leaning against the countertops on opposite ends of the kitchen. They would probably be more comfortable sitting up front at their table, or even in Adrian’s apartment, but he doesn’t want to interrupt Deran, so he stays quiet.

 

“I don’t know. She isn’t...well... she isn’t the nicest person. And I’ve found better things to do with my time lately than the family business and she knows it,” Deran says. That has Adrian frowning. Even though he knows Deran isn’t entirely happy with his work, he didn’t realize it was because his mom was so terrible. 

 

“What have you been doing?” Adrian asks him.

 

Deran looks up at Adrian, “I’ve been here man. Hanging with you, helping you.”

 

“Yeah but I never wanted to take you away from your family,” Adrian says. Deran walks over to him and gets in his space. 

 

“I know. Trust me. You aren’t,” Deran says at nearly a whisper. Adrian’s breath catches. They’re so close, he can hear, as well as feel, Deran’s breath. And how is it that he never noticed before just how _blue_ Deran’s eyes are? Then he feels Deran lean forward and Adrian thinks Deran is about to kiss him, when he feels one of Deran’s arms snag around him, and then Deran grabs a cinnamon roll and stuffs it into his mouth with a smile on his face. Adrian can’t help it, he laughs and shoves Deran backwards. 

 

“C’mon. Let’s eat these up front since you cannot wait,” Adrian says as he grabs the tray. He can see Deran attempting to eat the entire cinnamon roll that he shoved into his mouth, much to his dismay, and he laughs. Deran finally swallows the last bite and breathes out, “Coffee?”

 

This is just like Deran. The few times Adrian has hosted Deran and his brothers for dinner it usually results in all of them trying to eat as quickly as possible. Almost like they’re waiting for it to be taken away from them. But then they all laugh and cough and fight over the remaining beers. Adrian thinks it might just be a weird Cody quirk. 

 

He laughs, “Yeah. I’ll grab it. Go sit.” Deran follows his directions dutifully and takes another cinnamon roll, while Adrian gets their coffee. It’s a good thing Adrian made a pot of it before he started baking. Almost like he knew Deran would come by, even though they didn’t have plans. 

 

“Why don’t you start your own practice if you hate working for your family so much?” Adrian asks when he sits down. He grabs his own cinnamon roll and moans at the taste. Damn, he’s pretty proud of himself for these, if he does say so himself. He goes to lick the extra frosting off his fingers, when he notices Deran’s biting his lip and giving him a funny look. 

 

“What?” Adrian asks. 

 

“Nothing," Deran says and shakes his head, “I like working with my brothers and nephew, but Smurf man, she’s just...a piece of work.” 

 

“Well, if you ever decide to branch out on your own, you’re welcome to use me as a good review,” Adrian says. And he means it. While Deran has become his most trusted friend, before they really even knew each other, Deran helped him move his business into the right direction. Even though he’s busier than he’s ever been, he’s happier, and things flow better.

 

“Will do man," Deran says, “You gotta put these on the menu.”

 

“Working on it. Thinking I might make them for the open mic night next Saturday. You’re coming right?” Adrian asks.

 

“Hell yeah. Specially if you’re making these,” Deran says and smiles. Adrian just laughs back at him. Looks like there will be many cinnamon rolls made in their future.

 

“You keep eating them like this and I’ll have to teach you how to make them,” Adrian jokes.

 

“That’s a deal," Deran say as he grabs another one and takes a huge bite. 

 

~~~

 

Open mic night presents a number of logistical issues for Adrian. One being, he still has no employees. And of course, tonight, the cafe is packed. Adrian’s running around trying to get everyone’s drink orders served when he sees Deran walk through the front door with Craig. He turns to put the last few drinks on a customer’s table when he hears Deran behind the register taking orders and Craig putting on oven mitts to take a batch of cookies out of the oven. 

 

He goes back to the drink bar to make the next round of orders, and barely has a second to say “Thanks” to Deran and Craig when the next wave of customers come in. The line finally dies down and there’s just a few people left listening to the local artist singing. Adrian starts cleaning up and he notices Deran doing the same thing.

 

When Adrian finally closes and sends the last customer home, he finally goes over to Deran.

 

“Thank you. Seriously,” Adrian says. Deran smiles.

 

“It’s no problem. You should’ve called and said you needed help,” Deran says.

 

“Was too busy to even look at my phone dude,” Adrian says and smiles. He bumps his shoulder with Deran’s.

 

“Where did Craig go? Wanted to thank him too," Adrian says.

 

“Think he found some girl and went outside. I did promise him free food for coming with me. Hope that’s okay?” Deran says.

 

“Of course man, both of you. Whatever you want,” Adrian says. Deran gets a smirk on his face that makes Adrian shiver. 

 

“You know what would make this even better?” Deran says, effectively breaking the moment.

 

“What?” Adrian asks.

 

“If you had an outdoor area,” Deran says, “You could blow out that side wall, and have seating outside. Specially on cooler nights like this, people would probably love to sit outside.”

 

“Wanna show you something,” Adrian says as he grabs Deran’s hand. He isn’t imagining the spark he feels when they touch. He really needs to get a handle on these feelings. 

 

He finally brings Deran outside and through the fence next to his building. He unlatches it and pulls Deran towards the courtyard that connects his building to the next. It appears small when you first walk in, but gets bigger towards the back.

 

“What is this?” Deran asks, as he takes his phone out to use the flashlight. Adrian does the same.

 

“It’s a courtyard,” Adrian says, “It connects these two buildings. There’s an old door in my stock room that’s been sealed shut, but I’d almost bet it’s that door there,” as he points to a door on the outside.

 

“I never actually noticed it until I moved in. That’s my bedroom window up there. I tried to find the owner of the other building, but I haven’t had any luck. But yeah, I would love to put tables out here or something. It’s completely hidden from the back of the buildings too. I don’t know what I thought was back here, since I knew the buildings didn’t connect," Adrian says.

 

Deran has this weird look on his face and a smile across his lips, “You should do this. You totally should. You could easily get a door out here from your dining area and let people sit out here. I bet it would be awesome.”

 

“Yeah, but I don’t know for sure if I own this space, or if the owner of the building next to me does, or if the city does. It was always kind of a pipe dream anyways,” Adrian says.

 

Deran frowns, “I could find out for you?”

 

“Nah, you don’t have to do that. I figure that building will sell eventually and I’ll find out. Just a thought,” Adrian says.

 

“How long has that building been vacant?” Deran asks.

 

“Hmm. Well since I’ve lived here, probably even before then,” Adrian says. 

 

“Huh. Wonder what it looks like inside?” Deran says, curiously, as they begin to walk back inside.

 

“Probably what mine would look like if the first floor wasn’t outfitted for a restaurant. I think it was offices before,” Adrian says. 

 

They finally get back inside and Craig is there, munching on some cookies. Adrian laughs. Going to be a long night of cleaning.

 

~~~

 

Adrian barely makes it up the stairs, with Deran trailing behind, holding all of Adrian’s personal kitchenware that he brought down for the night. Deran sets it on the kitchen table.

 

“Thanks man. You didn’t have to do that,” Adrian says as he walks to the fridge to grab them both waters.

 

“It’s no problem. Plus, it’s the least I could do after Craig ate the rest of your cookies. He’s pretty useless when it comes to helping,” Deran shrugs and leans against the table.

 

“Nah, it’s all good. Any extra set of hands helps,” Adrian says as he passes Deran the water.

 

“Thanks,” Deran says, “Tonight was pretty successful.”

 

“It was. I really can’t thank you enough for the idea. Crazy that I never thought to do this before,” Adrian says. And it is. You’d think as a business owner, he would be better at this. Thank  _ goodness  _ he has Deran. 

 

He sees Deran shrug, but smile. 

 

“Gunna stick around for a while?” Adrian asks as he walks towards his couch. They’ve been binge watching some different TV shows, and he figures they can get another episode in before Deran goes home.

 

“Yeah. Can I make popcorn?” Deran asks as he grabs the bowl they use for popcorn out of the cupboard. Adrian laughs. 

 

“Go ahead,” Adrian says as he sits down and queues up the next episode. He sees Deran shuffle in with a bowl of popcorn and a blanket he must’ve grabbed out of the linen closet. Adrian smiles. Could Deran look  _ any _ cuter? Probably. 

 

Deran sits down and puts the popcorn bowl between them. Adrian isn’t imagining it this time, because there is definitely a spark when their hands touch. And he’s pretty sure Deran is purposefully leaving his hand in the bowl longer than he needs to. They get through most of the popcorn and half of their show when Deran puts the bowl on the coffee table and puts the blanket over himself to get comfortable. Adrian shivers.

 

“Cold?” Deran asks and holds up one end of the blanket.  _ No _ , Adrian wants to say. The temperature is not why he is shivering, but he nods instead. Deran motions for him to come closer and Adrian scoots over. 

 

“C’mon. I don’t bite,” Deran says cheekily. Adrian laughs and moves closer to Deran, which apparently satisfies Deran because he drops the other half of the blanket over Adrian’s lap. 

 

“Thanks,” Adrian says as he gets comfortable. He’s barely focusing on the TV. More worried that he’s going to do something to embarrass himself or give himself away because he’s so close to Deran. What he wouldn’t give to be able to just cuddle with Deran and lay in his arms. It’s his last thought before he falls asleep. More exhausted than he thought after the long day and night in the cafe. 

 

~~~

 

He’s definitely dreaming. Or having a panic attack. He’s not sure. What he is sure of, however, is Deran sleeping almost on top of him. It looks like they both passed out on the couch, and sometime during the night, shifted their positions. He feels like he can’t breathe, but he doesn’t want to move, for fear of waking Deran. He likes the weight on top of him. He likes the feel of Deran in his arms, even if he can’t feel his legs. Deran shifts and groans, and Adrian opens his eyes to a grinning Deran looking down at him. 

 

“Shit. Sorry, guess I fell asleep,” Deran says as he shifts to the other end of the couch. Adrian can finally move his legs.

 

“No worries,” Adrian says, but makes no move to get up. He’s entirely too comfortable. He notices Deran is rubbing the back of his neck, a nervous habit. Well, that won’t do. He pushes himself off the couch, “Want coffee? I can make breakfast?” Adrian asks, “Or did you have somewhere you have to be?”

 

Deran shakes his head, “Coffee sounds great. So does breakfast. Thanks.”

 

Adrian smiles and heads to the kitchen. Not such a bad way to wake up. 

 

He hears a “Meow” just before the pitter patter of his cat running through the apartment to jump onto the couch. 

 

“Oh hey, little guy,” Deran says as he pets the cat, “I didn’t know you had a cat.” Adrian turns to look, and smiles at the picture perfect moment he sees of Deran on the couch with the blanket thrown over him and Mickey sitting on his lap, purring at the attention.

 

“Yeah. His name is Mickey. I’m surprised you haven’t seen him before,” Adrian says as he grabs the ingredients out of the fridge. He sees Deran shake his head.

 

“Mickey! Hey buddy,” Deran says as he continues to pet the cat. Adrian laughs. Any man who loves his cat, is okay in his book.

 

~~~

 

Adrian groans awake at the sound of knocking on his front door. He looks at the clock and grimaces. It’s 7am, on Sunday, his one day off. And last night was another open mic night, so he was up late working and cleaning. It was the first Saturday that Deran has missed since they began these monthly events a little of a of year ago. He scrambles to his front door, and opens it, ready to yell and glare at the rude person waking him up, when he sees Deran there grinning. He has his hand up in the air like he’s about to knock again when he pauses and his eyes trail down Adrian’s body. Adrian looks at himself and realizes he doesn’t have a shirt on.

 

“Shit. Morning. Why are you here so early?” Adrian asks as he runs back to his bedroom to get changed into some regular clothes. He decides on jeans, vans, and his favorite Hawaiian shirt, that  _ he thinks  _ Deran secretly loves, if the compliments he’s gotten are anything to go by.

 

“Have something I wanted to show you,” Deran is practically vibrating with excitement.

 

“And this couldn’t wait until a little later? You know last night was open mic night,” Adrian says and decides to hop in the shower. He stinks, and Deran can wait. When he’s finally done showering and getting dressed, he walks into his kitchen and notices that Deran has made coffee. He is handed a cup and says “Thanks.”

 

“So. What did you want to show me?” Adrian asks again as he sips his coffee.

 

“Come on. I’ll show you,” Deran says and grabs his hand to begin pulling them towards the staircase that leads into the cafe.  __ They walk through the cafe out the front door.

 

“Deran, where are you taking me?” Adrian laughs as he’s pulled along. They get to the side of the building and he notices the gate is open.

 

He pauses, “Deran?”

 

“Come on,” Deran says. He grabs Adrian’s hand and walks him into the courtyard. He’s in shock. That is the only way he knows how to describe what he’s feeling. The entire courtyard has been transformed into an outdoor cafe. It’s the stuff of dreams. With bistro tables and chairs. Cafe string lights creating a makeshift ceiling from building to building. And on the far wall of the building next to Adrian’s, in big marquee letters is “Coffee for Two”.  Adrian can’t help it, he gets teary eyed and he’s entirely speechless. This is exactly what he had dreamed of, exactly what he had told Deran he wanted to do with this space. He turns to Deran and has a huge smile on his face. 

 

“How?” Adrian gets out, because he really can’t find the words. 

 

Deran tugs them further into the courtyard and really Adrian still can’t believe that he has an outdoor seating area, when Deran begins to speak.

 

“Well I’ve thought a lot about what you’ve said since we met. About opening my own practice. Doing what I want to do and such. And I know you said not to look into who owned the building, but I couldn’t resist once I had the idea in my head. So I looked it up, and it turns out the city owned it, and it was abandoned. So I bought it. And I’ve been taking on my own clients from my own place until this one is fully renovated to become my office, but in the meantime, I decided that you deserved the courtyard you’ve always dreamed of. And since I now own the building next to yours, and we both own this little piece of land, I figured I could give this to you. Since you’ve given me so much,” Deran says. 

 

“You did this for me?” Adrian says. He’s reeling. He can’t believe that Deran would do this for him. He hasn’t even begun to process the rest of what Deran said, when Deran grabs his hand.

 

“Yes. You’ve done more for me this last year than you know,” Deran says as he looks into his eyes.

 

“Like what?” Adrian says, because really, Deran has done so much for Adrian, he doesn’t know how he’ll ever repay him.

 

“You made me realize what I really want,” Deran says and squeezes his hand. Adrian’s shocked. He knows that they talked about Deran opening his own practice, but he doesn’t think that what they’ve talked about is what really helped him make that decision.

 

Adrian gives him a confused look, so he continues, “You made me believe I could have what I wanted. You made me realize that all I had to do was make it happen. You gave me the courage to stand up to Smurf, and tell her I was quitting. You made me brave,” Deran says. 

 

Adrian tilts his head. In all the time they’ve known each other, Deran has never said one good thing about Smurf, and even though Adrian hasn’t met her, he knows he never wants to.

 

“I made you brave?” Adrian asks.

 

“Yes," Deran whispers and crowds closer to Adrian, “Can I be brave again?” 

 

Adrian nods and swallows. They are standing so close their noses are almost touching. Adrian breathes out and could kick himself for doing so. He doesn’t want to ruin the moment. If they’re even _ having _ a moment, that is. 

 

He’s brought out of his inner musings when he feels Deran’s lips on his. He gasps and pulls back. He opens his eyes to see Deran’s blue eyes looking back at him. He almost looks scared. Deran starts to pull away, a look of rejection on his face, when Adrian grabs him by the back of the neck and slams their lips together. Adrian’s never been kissed like this before. So full of love and want. He moans before he can help himself, and at the momentary loss of Deran’s lips on his, Deran slips his tongue in. He doesn’t know how long they end up kissing, but they are both hard and panting against each other when they break apart. 

 

Adrian has so many questions, but he can’t get his brain and his mouth to cooperate because he’s overcome with so many emotions. Eventually he can breathe enough to speak and realizes that during their makeout session Deran managed to push them up against the wall to his building. He looks at Deran who is leaning against him, and is happy to see that Deran looks just as wrecked as he feels. 

 

“You’re gay?” Adrian asks and then drops his head back against the wall and groans, “Shit sorry.”

 

Deran laughs, “Yeah, man.” Adrian laughs with him and shakes his head.

 

“And you really did this? Bought the building, made this courtyard? For my cafe?” Adrian asks.

 

“Yeah. Was the least I could do,” Deran says.

 

“You didn’t have too,” Adrian says. Deran leans forward to kiss him again. And isn’t that the best part of this morning? 

 

“I have so many questions,” Adrian says and laughs.

 

“Well neighbor, I’ve got time,” Deran says with a smirk.

 

“Neighbor. I like that,” Adrian says and kisses Deran.

 

Deran smiles, “Now how about some more coffee? I hear it’s the best.”

 

“Oh yeah. Where’d you hear that?” Adrian says as they walk back inside.

 

“Well seems I have an in with the owner,” Deran says.

 

“You do?” Adrian jokes.

 

“I’d say so,” Deran says as he kisses Adrian again.

 

“Yeah, me too,” Adrian says as he goes behind the counter to start the coffee. He sees Deran sit down at their table. Where they spend most of their time when they’re here alone. He finishes the coffees and brings them to the table as he sits down across from Deran.

 

“Best coffee I’ve ever had,” Deran says as he takes a sip. Adrian thinks he might be biased, might be a little in love, but he doesn’t disagree. Instead he takes Deran’s hand from across the table and squeezes it. He feels Deran squeeze his hand back.

 

“Me too,” Adrian says, “Me too.”

 

~~~

 

Adrian rolls over at the sound of their alarm and buries his face in Deran’s pillow. Why Deran isn’t in bed barely registering when he feels a warm body on his back. “Wake up sleepy head,” Deran says in his ear. He groans.

 

“No. It’s Sunday, we are supposed to be sleeping,” Adrian whines and burrows further into the covers. 

 

“Not today. C’mon, get up,” Deran says again and nips at his ear.

 

“Ow. Okay. Okay,” Adrian groans and throws the covers off. Why Deran insists they be awake at… 7am...on a Sunday....is beyond him.

 

Adrian finally looks over at Deran and sees he is fully dressed, like he’s been up for a while. Weird. “When did you wake up?” Adrian asks. 

 

“Couple hours ago,” Deran says. He’s practically bouncing in place. Adrian wonders what the hell is going on. This is  _ not _ like Deran. They’ve been living together a couple of months now, the renovations on Deran’s office building, next door, finally complete. About half way through the renovations, Deran decided he didn’t want to live in the upstairs apartment, and instead rents it out to Craig. Adrian figured that was Deran’s way of asking if they could live together, so Adrian offered up his humble abode as their home. 

 

“Why?” Adrian asks.

 

“Couldn’t sleep. Had stuff to do,” Deran says.

 

“What stuff?” Adrian asks as he starts to get in the shower.

 

“You’ll see. Get ready. I’ll be downstairs,” Deran says. Adrian leans over to kiss Deran, getting lost in the kiss before Deran pulls back, “Hurry up,” and then he’s gone.

 

Adrian chuckles, still breathless from the kiss, as he steps into the shower. 

 

Adrian finally heads downstairs, and wonders why all the lights are off in the cafe, when he sees the french doors open that lead to the courtyard. He walks outside and sees all the lights on and candles. A lot of candles. On the ground. On every table. And he sees Deran, standing in the middle of the courtyard, holding a plate with something on it.

 

“Deran, what’s all this?” Adrian asks as he walks up to him. And now that he’s closer, he can see that Deran is holding a plate full of something that looks suspiciously like Adrian’s blueberry scones. Deran holds the plate out to Adrian, and Adrian grabs one.

 

“Try it,” Deran says. Adrian grabs a scone and sits down at a table. He takes a bite and can’t hold back the moan. Looks like all those cooking lessons with Deran are paying off. He looks up at Deran and smiles.

 

“Well?” Deran asks as he sits down. Adrian notices his leg is shaking, almost as if he’s nervous.

 

Adrian smiles, “It’s really good. You’ve been practicing?”

 

“Maybe,” Deran shrugs. Adrian grabs his hand and squeezes it, “So, gunna tell me what all this is for?” Adrian asks as he gestures around the courtyard, now noticing that there are flowers on all the tables, as well. Deran looks at him, and he looks almost bashful. Wait...is he  _ blushing?  _

 

“I wanted to celebrate with something special. So I figured I would learn how to make the very thing that brought me here in the first place. Brought me to you,” Deran says. 

 

“Celebrate?” Adrian asks. He’s confused. He feels like he missed something and he knows he isn’t missing a birthday. 

 

“Yeah. Well...it’s been one year since I bought the building next door,” Deran says, “Which I know we’ve never really talked about it, but in my head, that’s the day I consider to be our beginning. So...ya know...one year since we’ve kissed.” 

 

Adrian smiles, and notices that Deran  _ is _ blushing now. Adrian feels bad, he didn’t even realize that it had been a year since that day. A day he considers to be one of the best days of his life. Or that it was something Deran had been thinking about as well.

 

“I missed our anniversary,” Adrian says, sadly. He feels terrible.

 

“You didn’t! I just wanted to do something to thank you for everything you’ve done for me, and I figured today was a good day,” Deran says and shrugs. Deran’s trying to act nonchalant about it. But Adrian can tell this means a lot to him, hell, it means a lot to both of them. Adrian really doesn’t want to mess it up. He’s overwhelmed. Not only by the lovely gesture of decorating the courtyard, in honor of it being one year since Deran had it fixed up, but also with love for this man. He feels the same way Deran does, and is constantly thanking Deran for everything  _ he’s _ done for Adrian. He knows that without Deran, he’d still be sleepwalking through life. He’d never have branched out and really brought the cafe to what it is today, either.

 

“I love you,” Adrian says and smiles at Deran. Deran gasps. While Adrian has loved Deran, almost from the beginning, they haven’t said the words out loud yet. 

 

“I love you, too,” Deran says as he leans up and over the table and kisses Adrian. Adrian smiles into the kiss. They break apart and Deran sits back down with a huge grin on his face, grabs a scone and takes a bite. 

 

“Damn these are good!” Deran says around a mouthful. Adrian laughs, “Yeah.” Deran smiles at him. 

 

“Learned from the best,” Deran smiles at him. Adrian smiles back. They finish their scones, and coffee, after Adrian noticed that there was some on the table as well. They both start cleaning up, when Adrian asks, “What about the rest?”

 

“Leave it,” Deran says, “We’re having a party later.”

 

“A party?” Adrian asks. He really can’t believe Deran planned all this.

 

“Yeah,” Deran looks a little sheepish, “Hope that’s okay. It’s just that I know how much it meant to you that you could have all this. Have everything you wanted.”

 

“It wasn’t  _ everything _ I wanted,” Adrian says and grabs Deran’s hand to tug him upstairs.

 

‘Yeah?” Deran asks as he laughs.

 

“Yeah,” Adrian says, as they finally make it into their bedroom. Adrian kisses Deran with a ferocity he didn’t know he possessed. He can hear Deran growl, as he pushes Deran onto their bed and crawls on top of him. He feels like he’s crawling out of his skin, and he has to get them naked, now. He pulls at Deran’s shirt as he gets his own off. They’re both desperate now, getting out of their shorts, as if they were on fire. Then finally, blessedly, they are both naked and panting.

 

“I love you,” Deran says as he breaks their kiss.

 

“I love you, too,” Adrian says as passion consumes him. Consumes them. He can never get enough of Deran. He feels Deran bite his lip and he moans. He’s too turned on to do anything other than let Deran have his wicked way with him. He pulls Deran on top of him so that Deran can gain friction. They’re rubbing together, sweaty and sticky. He’s definitely about to fly apart. As they come down from this high, he pulls Deran closer to him, so that he’s flush against him. He doesn’t think he’ll ever get enough of this man. And as sleep pulls them under, he feels one last kiss to his forehead. 

 

~~~

 

To say the party was a success would be an understatement. Deran had invited both of their families, and all of the regular customers that had become their friends over this past year. And he had even done all of the setting up and baking. Adrian drew the line at letting him cook as well. It was the least he could do. He still couldn’t believe that Deran had pulled all this off, and without Adrian knowing.

 

“I think this was a success,” Deran says as he comes behind the counter in the cafe to grab more of the finger foods Adrian made.

 

“It was,” Adrian says as he shakes his head and finishes putting together the last of the espresso’s.

 

Deran comes over to kiss him and Adrian melts into the kiss. He leans his forehead against Deran’s, “Thank you,” as he kisses Deran again.

 

“No. Thank you,” Deran says and kisses him back, then breaks the kiss to snag an espresso. Adrian shakes his head and laughs. He takes one for himself, as they both walk outside to the courtyard. Might be just coffee for two when it’s just them. But they can share. 

  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
